


The Complexity of an Emperor-Servant Relationship

by yourgirlmickey



Category: kylux - Fandom
Genre: Emperor!HuxAU, Implied Smut, Kinda Fluffy, Kylux ftw, M/M, Originally from my tumblr, Servant!KyloRenAU, These two assholes, hurt/comfort?, i love them, i'm not even sure, phasma and hux are bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-03 01:56:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6592006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourgirlmickey/pseuds/yourgirlmickey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I will buy your slave,” Hux offered.  The man looked almost as surprised as the Emperor felt.  </p><p>   “Him?” he asked, gesturing to the young man.  He was genuinely taken aback.  </p><p>   “Yes,” Hux confirmed.  “Name your price.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Complexity of an Emperor-Servant Relationship

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Kylux-fanfic-oneshot I said I was going to write :) It’s an Emporer!HuxAU and Servant!KyloRenAU. Language, implied smut, and some fluff (yes, I know I’m a loser, but I like some Kylux fluff okay?). Please enjoy!

“Interesting that the Minister could not meet me here himself,” Emporer Hux observed aloud to his Captain of the Guard, Phasma. “Rather, he thinks it best that I walk through this peasants' market to meet him when he himself is not even willing to do so.” 

“I agree,” she answered. Most people would have tacked an honorific on the end of that- they were addressing the Emperor for crying out loud!- but Captain Phasma was different. She’d known the Emporer since they were children and they had grown up as friends. “It’s not as though you’re unprotected, though,” she added, giving him a smile that said “get over yourself, Hux.”

“That’s true,” he acknowledged. He looked around at the peasants that milled about, going about their lives as they did every day. Some were trying to sell things to visitors to the planet while others were gambling and drunk in small groups on the street corners. It was a rather gloomy day, and Hux figured that everyone felt the heavy weather weighing down on them just as he did, although it was a feeling he felt most of the time, even when the sun was shining and the birds were singing. 

You see, although the ginger-haired Emperor would never admit it, he was unhappy. He had the lavish life-style, the power and respect of his people, and most everything he could ever want. What, then, was the problem? Well, to put it simply, Hux was lonely. 

That’s right. Even with hundreds of people milling about the palace, their only goal to make him happy, he was lonely. Even Phasma could not make it better. 

Emperor Hux continued to walk down the path, ignoring the situation around him, until he heard something that made him stop for a moment. A yelp. 

It was more than just a surprised yelp, too. It was painful. Hux looked around quickly until his eyes landed on a young man, probably a few years younger than Hux (and Hux was only in his mid-twenties), hunched over as a large, ugly man stood over him with a whip in his hand. The young man was shirtless, and the bright pink lashing mark on his back stood out against his somehow flawless skin. 

“I’m done with you, boy,” the man sneered, whipping the lash down on the young man’s back again. This time, he did not yelp. “If I can’t sell you, you’re no good to me. You’re better off dead.” 

Hux knew how master-slave relationships worked on these kinds of planets. If the master wished to, he could take the slave’s life. It was his, after all. 

But when the young man turned his head, Hux saw something. He saw those eyes, and there was something in them besides tears. He saw raw power and raw hatred. There was a sense of defiance there that hit the Emperor like a slap to the face. He had never seen eyes so bold. Eyes that opened up to such a pure soul. 

That’s why, when the man raised his hand to bring the whip down yet again, Hux stepped forward without thinking things over first (which was very out of character for him). “Wait!” he heard himself commanding. 

The master looked up, and was probably about to step forward and strangle whoever it was that dared to get in his way, when he noticed the sense of power and prestige surrounding this red haired man. “What?” the master asked hesitantly. 

“I will buy your slave,” Hux offered. The man looked almost as surprised as the Emperor felt. 

“Him?” he asked, gesturing to the young man. He was genuinely taken aback. 

“Yes,” Hux confirmed. “Name your price.” 

After the man named a price Hux knew was outrageous for a place like this, he nodded to Phasma, who also seemed a bit dazed by the whole thing, but still stepped up and placed the currency in the man’s dirty hand. 

“He’s yours,” the man said, pointing to the slave. “Good day... Sir,” he added, before turning around and taking off as though he was afraid that the red haired man would change his mind and demand the money be given back. 

The Emperor stepped up to the young man, gingerly. He hadn’t looked up at the Emperor at all yet, and his head had remained down since the second lashing. 

“Hello,” Hux said, in a gentle voice that he hardly ever used. “I am Emperor Hux.” 

Slowly, the young man’s head rose until he was looking the Emperor in the eye. He seemed... special, somehow, Hux decided. There was something brilliant about him, even with his jet black hair out of order and his smooth face a bit dirty in places. 

“Kylo Ren,” the young man managed to choke out. 

“Is that your name?” Hux asked, intrigued. 

He got a nod in return. 

“Well,” Hux said, extending a hand to Ren, “I bought you from that bastard and I’d like you to come to my palace and be my personal servant, where you will be taken care of if you conduct yourself properly.” 

Ren seemed surprised by such an offer. He didn’t respond at first, but when he did, Hux heard something... amused, in his voice. “It’s better than where I was and what I was doing.”

“I suppose it would be,” the Emperor replied as Ren took his hand. It wasn’t hard to lift him up to his feet. 

“For now, my guards will escort you to my ship and clean you up. You may rest. I must meet with the Minister here.” 

Ren actually laughed. It was so sudden, almost like a breath of fresh air. 

“Is something funny?” Hux asked. He did not fancy people laughing at him. 

“Let’s just say that the Minister is... Well, he’s an interesting character.” 

***

As Hux left the Minister’s three story manor, he realized that his new servant had been right. The man was arrogant and stupid, and the trade proposal he was making was complete and utter bullshit. 

“So, Hux,” Phasma said as they walked. “About that slave boy you saved...”

“What about him?” Hux asked, as if it was absurd for her to think it out of the ordinary. 

“You already have hundreds of servants,” she said. “Why another?”

The Emperor had been thinking about this as well. Why had he saved him? It wasn’t as though his situation was extraordinary or anything. 

“I know,” he finally answered. “Something about him just... caught my eye. He can be my personal servant, someone who’s with me at all hours. It might be nice to have someone like that.”

“I wonder what it was that caught your eye...” she continued, smiling playfully as they walked. “I suppose that he is rather handsome.” 

Hux tried not to react when she said that. “Perhaps I ought to surround myself with people who are more appealing to the eye,” he ventured to suggest. “It looks good when the servants aren’t homely.”

Phasma laughed. “Oh, Hux,” she said, smiling. “Whatever am I to do with you?” 

It was nice, Hux decided, to have at least one person who did not address him so formally. 

***

Make that two.

“Oh my god, get your hands off of me!” Ren whined at the nurses who tried to tend his wounds. “Tell them to stop touching me! It stings!” 

The moment they got to the Palace, Hux took Ren to have his wounds treated. He had already been cleaned and looked more handsome than he had when he was covered in dirt. 

“Stop whining,” Hux said, annoyed. “You’re being a child.” 

Ren actually dared to glare at him. 

It was so strange. Most people were afraid of the Emperor. But not Ren. Not the slave boy who Hux had so generously saved. 

By the time the nurses had finished with him and then scurried off, Ren and Hux had already exchanged several nasty comments. Hux took a seat next to his new servant. 

“I didn’t have to save you,” Hux said, annoyed. 

“It’s not like I asked you to,” Ren answered. He seemed tired now, as if the treatment had exhausted him. 

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” the Emperor asked, genuinely perplexed. 

Ren looked at him and actually smiled. “I’ve already been to hell, and I’m not afraid to die. If I’m going to be here, I’ll be me. And if you don’t like me, you can kill me.” 

There was something that Hux liked about that. It was kind of like Phasma, although she wasn’t nearly as much of an asshole as Ren was. He was tired of people being fake around him. As much as he liked respect, he believed that it was something to be earned, not something to be faked. 

“I suppose that I’d rather you be honest if you’re going to be with me all of the time,” Hux admitted. “Although you must be polite among other business people and people of power.” 

“I can be silent sometimes,” Ren offered. 

“Good,” the Emperor said, trying not to look into those wonderful eyes that had already changed their lives. 

***

“You will sleep here,” Hux said, pointing to a small bed inside of a small room across the hall from Hux’s grand bedroom. Yes, it was fairly small, but it had a nice, full-sized bed, a desk and a chair, a dresser, and a bathroom adjoined to it. 

“Wow,” Ren said, looking around. 

Hux frowned, thinking that Ren meant it negatively. “What’s wrong with it?”

Ren looked at him, surprised. “Absolutely nothing,” he said quietly, and it was the most genuine thing Hux had heard him say yet. “This is the nicest room I’ve ever been given to live in.” 

The Emperor knew that he shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Kylo Ren was likely raised as a slave his whole life. “Really?” he asked anyway. 

“Yes,” Ren answered, still looking around. “And I don’t have to share it with anyone?” he asked.

“No, of course not,” Hux replied, feeling a pang in his chest. 

“Wow, this really is a first,” Ren commented. He seemed oddly pleased. 

Hux was unsure of what to say to that, so he decided to get down to business. “Alright. Well, you need to be up by 6:15 in the morning, get yourself dressed and groomed- there are clothes in the dresser and grooming supplies in the bathroom- and wake me up by 6:30.” 

Ren looked at him slowly, thinking, and then nodded. “May I ask a question?”

“Yes, you may,” Hux answered, leaning back against the door frame. 

“What kind of things am I expected to do? I’ve never done anything like this before.” 

It was a very honest and important question. “For now, just do as I ask. You’ll learn over time.” 

Ren nodded again. His mood had improved greatly since he had eaten. He wasn’t being as much of an asshole now, and there was a little more respect in his voice. 

“Well, goodnight,” Hux said. 

“Goodnight, your...Grace?” Ren tried. 

The Emperor nearly laughed, but caught himself. “You know what Ren? Just call me sir for now. It would be much too awkward if you go on like that.”

“Oh. Sorry. Goodnight, sir,” Ren tried again. 

This time, Hux simply nodded and dismissed himself to his own room. 

***

The next morning, the Emperor woke with quite a start. 

“Wake up, sir,” a voice whispered. “Wake up.”

It was downright creepy. 

Hux sprang forward so quickly that Ren actually jumped back. It took him a moment to realize what was happening. 

“Holy shit, Ren,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” 

“Well, it’s not like you told me how to go about waking you,” Ren said, annoyed. 

Ah, the asshole attitude was back. 

Hux narrowed his eyes. “Next time, knock on the fucking door.” 

Ren narrowed his eyes right back and then nodded. 

“My apologies, sir,” he said sarcastically. He turned on his heel and then stalked out of the room. 

As Hux was putting on his simple black and crimson robes, he realized that his life was about to get a lot more interesting. 

***

After a half an hour, Ren finally returned to Hux’s room with their breakfast. 

“I got lost trying to find the kitchen,” Ren explained, seemingly pissed off. 

“It’s alright,” Hux said, not looking up from the official documents on his desk. His room doubled as both his resting place and office. 

Ren wheeled the cart over to Hux’s desk. “Are you ready to eat, sir?”

Hux looked up and was suddenly taken aback by how good Ren looked in his black outfit. All of his clothes would be the same; a simple, black tunic, black pants, and black boots, all with red trim in places. With his freshly-combed black hair brushing his shoulders... he was very appealing to the eye. 

“Yes,” he answered before clearing some of the documents away and motioning to the now-empty space on the desk. 

Ren took the hint and placed the silver platter in front of him. “Thank you,” Hux said, before picking up his fork. He was about to take a bite when he noticed Ren standing there confused, as if he didn’t know what to do. “Go ahead and eat,” he said, motioning to Ren’s plate, still sitting on the cart. 

He watched as Ren blushed and then took his plate in his hands. After looking around, he took a seat on the floor and began to eat. He ate quickly, as if it might be the last time. 

“Slow down,” Hux said, watching as Ren shoved forkful after forkful into his mouth quickly. “You’re going to end up choking.”

He looked embarrassed, and Hux realized that this was yet another habit from his days as a slave. “Calm down, Ren, you’re not going to go hungry.” 

“Sorry,” Ren mumbled. 

Hux had always been a rather curious person, and now seemed as good a time as ever to ask the questions he wanted to know. “Tell me about your life leading up to yesterday,” he ordered pleasantly, taking a bite of scrambled eggs. 

Ren looked rather surprised about such an inquiry. “You want to know about me?”

The Emperor laughed. “That’s what I said.”

“Uh, well, I guess I could tell you some things,” Ren said, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t know who my father was... I heard he died before I was born, and that he was once a great thief. My mother was a Senator on another planet, but was murdered soon after I was born. When she died, the Council crumbled. There were battles, rebellions, wars. A lot of people were taken as slaves and servants; I was taken as a slave.” He paused and took a bite of toast. “I was traded several times before I ended up with Barto... I was 10 years old by then. It’s been 13 yeas now.”

It was like he was telling a story he’d told a million times in his head, but this was the first time he’d said it out loud. Hux had never known such a life. He’d always been surrounded by power and no one had ever laid a finger on him in an attempt to harm him. 

“That’s... That’s quite the story,” Hux finally said. What else could he say? He almost felt a pinprick of guilt. “I’m... sorry that all happened to you.”

Ren looked up at him and shrugged his shoulders, as if it didn’t matter to him. “Thanks, but... It doesn’t really matter.”

Hux found himself frowning involuntarily. “Why wouldn’t it matter?”

“It’s not as if I matter that much,” the younger man explained quietly. “It’s not like my life matters as much as... yours, for example.”

The Emperor wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up. Yep. He felt kind of guilty. Not that he really should, it wasn’t his fault. If anything, he’d done Ren a favor. “That’s hardly true,” he heard himself saying. “Your life matters as much as anyone else’s.”

Ren stood up as well and placed their now-empty plates on the cart. “That’s bullshit and you know it,” he said flatly. 

But Hux thought he saw his eyes smile, just slightly, and only for a moment. 

***

Kylo Ren looked absolutely mortified. 

It was day four, and he seemed to be doing fairly well. He and Hux had an... interesting relationship. It seemed less formal and more personal than it ought to be, but it suited them well, somehow. And Ren was able to do what Hux asked easily enough. 

And then the glass shattered.

They were in the great hall of the Palace for lunch and the Royal Court and anyone of importance was enjoying a high class meal together while discussing politics and such, the Emperor included. 

“Ren, could you get me some more water?” Hux asked, handing his servant the glass. 

He received an annoyed look (Ren was trying to eat, after all), but he nodded and took the glass in his hand. He had only taken a step toward the refreshments machine when the glass slipped out of his hand. 

Even in a loud room of 50 or more people, everyone seemed to go silent when the glass shattered on the ground, all eyes on the Emperor’s servant.

Ren seemed frozen in place. Hux merely sighed and waited for Ren to start cleaning up. It wasn’t really a big deal, just a slight inconvenience. 

But the younger man did not move; he remained frozen in place. 

“Ren?” Emperor Hux called out after too much time had gone by. 

Ren turned around slowly. His face was paler than Hux had ever seen it, a look of complete terror in his eyes. 

Hux turned immediately to everyone who was watching them. “Please continue to enjoy your meal, everyone,” he said. The chatter slowly built back up, and Hux stood up from the table and moved toward Ren. Thankfully, by now, some of the great hall staff had seen what had happened and was cleaning up the glass shards. 

“Ren?” Hux asked again. He noticed the slight tremble of his servant’s hand. “Ren, it’s just a glass, it’s fine.”

Suddenly, Ren seemed to wake up. “I-I’m sorry,” he choked out, his voice tight. There was something... wrong. “I-I didn’t mean t-to-”

“Calm down,” Hux said quietly. “Follow me.”

He walked toward a small hall leading off from the great hall. It was currently empty, thankfully. 

When he turned around, Ren was full on shaking. He looked like he was going to be sick. 

“Ren, what on earth is the matter?” Hux asked, his voice soft but firm. 

This seemed to set the younger man over the edge, and he fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried, and he kept repeating it over and over like a prayer. 

This was a side to Ren that Hux didn’t think existed. It was weak and pathetic and terrified. It was not sarcastic, rebellious, or snarky. 

Something had told Hux that Ren had been abused as a slave, but now he understood that he’d been blind to the extent of abuse Ren had taken. After all, he was having a mental break down just because of a shattered glass. 

Slowly, Hux knelt down in front of Ren and reached out to place a gentle hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Ren,” he whispered, “It’s okay, I forgive you. You’re not in trouble.” 

The Emperor had no experience with this kind of thing. He had never had to console or comfort someone. He wasn’t supposed to have to deal with such things. Supposedly, they were below him. 

But in that moment, he decided that he didn’t really mind this, even if he wasn’t really sure what he was doing. 

After a few minutes, Ren calmed down. When he finally looked up, he was himself again. 

“This isn’t a normal Emperor-servant relationship, is it?” he asked, cheeks flushed and still damp. 

Hux smiled despite himself. “Fuck normal,” he answered. 

***

Three and a half weeks passed, and Ren was filling his position as personal servant very well. Once he figured things out, he was on top of everything. He knew the schedule of the Emperor like the back of his hand, knew how the Emperor liked certain things done, and knew how to make every day go by smoothly. 

Yes, they still exchanged sarcastic, snarky comments, and Ren was known to call Hux “sir asshole” sometimes (which earned one hell of a look from the Palace staff that passed by), but Hux gave it right back to him. 

Phasma was constantly teasing Hux about the relationship between himself and Ren, earning either a frazzled, blushing attempt at a response or an embarrassed dismissal. It turned out that Phasma got along with Ren quite well, though, and she’d even braid his hair sometimes, just to piss him off. 

Today was a special day, though. 

“Do I really have to go?” Ren asked Hux as he sat on the edge of his other office desk (he had one in another part of the Palace where he worked more often than he did in his bedroom). 

“Can you get me some lemon tea?” Hux asked without looking up from his papers. “And yes, you have to go.”

They were going to a banquette later where many Emperors, Senators, and other powerful figures would be gathering. It helped to keep up peace treaties among the worlds. 

“Yeah, I can, and why? How many of them are going to have their servants hanging around them?” Ren asked, hopping up and heading over to the drink machine in the corner of the room. 

“You can have some, too, if you want,” The Emperor said as he signed his name on a document. “And you’re more of my right hand man than my servant. I want you there. Not to mention, I’ve already had some dress robes made for you.” 

“That’s not my fault,” the black haired man complained, sucking in his cheek, annoyed. He placed the tea in front of Hux and then glanced down at what he was working on. 

“Oh,” he said, and then pointed to a line on the document that Hux was getting ready to push away. “You forgot to sign here.”

“What?” Hux asked, and then followed Ren’s finger. “Oh. Thanks.” 

He smiled up at Ren after he added his signature on the line. “See why I want you there with me?” 

Ren just looked even more annoyed. 

***

“Are you sure I can sit next to you?” Ren whispered. 

Hux almost laughed at the amount of nerves in his servant’s voice. “Yes, it’s fine,” he whispered back. “If you shut up, no one will even notice you, let alone care.” 

They had just been seated at the extravagant venue where the banquette was being held. 

Ren seemed uncomfortable, but he was using his best manners and trying his best not to draw attention to himself. Hux was actually quite amused. 

“Emperor Hux,” someone called from across the elegant table. Hux looked up from his creamy soup and found an old acquaintance of his talking to him. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Hux groaned inwardly. He had never been able to stand this man. “Emperor Youlie,” he responded politely. “The feeling is mutual.” Like hell it was. “I hope you are well.”

“Very well, and yourself?”

“I am well, thank you.”

“And who is this that you’ve brought with you?” the older man asked, gesturing to Ren. 

Ren seemed to stiffen at the attention. Hux groaned inwardly again. 

“This is my... Personal assistant,” he said. Not that it wasn’t entirely true. Ren did plenty of things that could give him that title. 

“Interesting,” Youlie commented. “That’s not what I heard, though.” 

“Oh?” Hux said, not entirely sure where this would be going. 

“I’ve heard rumor that he is a prior slave turned personal servant,” the man explained. “And that his name is Kylo Ren.”

“That is very interesting,” Hux answered, feeling annoyed but trying not to show it. 

“You were the son of a Senator, were you not?” Youlie continued, addressing Ren directly now. 

All Ren did was nod stiffly. 

“Senator Organa?” 

Another nod. 

“How distasteful. She was a wicked ruler,” Youlie said, disgusted. “She was murdered for it, you know,” he said to Hux.

Hux glanced at Ren, feeling a bit worried. He was pale, and his hands were trembling. 

“I would appreciate it if you dropped the issue,” Hux said, feeling rather sick all of a sudden. 

Youlie pretended not to hear. “She was a cruel dictator, apparently. No mercy and no kindness in her heart. She deserved to be-”

He was interrupted when Ren stood up quite suddenly and splashing the water in his glass at the man. 

The whole room faded into stunned silence at the action. 

“How dare you?” Youlie asked, standing up and pointing a fat finger at Ren. “You filthy little slave boy! You think that you have the right to disrespect someone of my stature? You’re a worthless piece of scum, and that’s all you’ll ever-”

And he stopped talking again, because he had been splashed with water yet again. 

This time by Hux. 

“That is quite enough,” Hux growled. 

And then he took Ren’s arm in his hand and began stalking away angrily. 

***

Neither of them had spoken a word since they left the banquette. Now they stood side by side in the hall between their rooms. 

“I’m sorry for what I did,” Ren said after a while. “It was... wrong.”

For some reason, that makes Hux feel rather upset. “No, it’s fine. Youlie was the one out of line.”

There was silence again for a while before Ren asked, “Is this going to ruin our relationship with Youlie’s planet?”

Hux continued to lean back against the wall next to Ren, arms crossed. “Maybe,” he admitted. 

“Isn’t that a bad thing?”

“I don’t mind blowing that planet up,” Hux said, turning to Ren and looking at him seriously. “It’s fine.”

Ren stood up so suddenly that Hux was caught off gaurd. “Why aren’t you mad at me?!” he asked. He seemed so confused and upset. 

The sudden outburst surprised Hux a little bit. “Why should I be?” he asked, unfolding his arms and standing up straight. 

“Wouldn’t it be normal for you to beat me up? Or, well, have someone else do it? Shouldn’t I be punished for screwing things up?” Ren asked. There were actually tears in his eyes. 

“Ren, what on earth is the matter? You don’t want that, do you?” Hux asked, reaching out and placing a calming hand on Ren’s shoulder. 

“I deserve it,” Ren answered, quietly. 

“What?”

“I don’t deserve to be treated so nicely,” Ren cried. “I don’t understand why you’re so nice to me. I’m just a slave boy. I’m worthless. I don’t deserve-”

But he couldn’t speak anymore, because there was a pair of lips against his own. 

Hux kissed him tenderly and passionately, but once Ren had processed what was going on, he let his eyes fall shut and he just... let go. 

He let go of everything. 

Kylo Ren had never tasted freedom before, but that night when his lips were met by Hux’s, be could have sworn that he tasted it. 

Suddenly there were arms wrapped around waists, hands tangled in hair, and tongues battling for dominance. 

By the time they broke apart, they were panting. 

“Do you understand now?” Hux asked, hands still on Ren’s body. 

“I think so,” Ren answered. “But I don’t want to get my hopes up in case I’m wrong.”

The Emperor rolled his eyes. “I love you, asshole.”

And that’s when Kylo Ren smiled. “I love you, too, Emperor asshole.” 

After some more passionate kissing, Ren whispered, “It’s kind of late.”

“Maybe you’d like to come to my quarters tonight?”

“I’ve always wondered how soft your mattress is.”

***

If you ask any of the servants that worked in that area of the Palace that night, they’ll swear they heard the most unholy of noises coming from the Emperor’s room.

**Author's Note:**

> Holy Fuck. That was longer and shittier than I thought it would be. Oh well. I hope you somehow enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!! :D


End file.
